Endoscopy in the medical field allows internal features of a patient's body to be viewed without the use of traditional, fully-invasive surgery. A basic tool of endoscopy is the endoscope (or “scope”). During an endoscopic medical procedure, one end of the scope is inserted into the body of a patient while the other end is typically connected to a video camera. The camera generates image data based on light received through the scope, and the image data is used to display real-time video images of the interior of the body on a display device.
The various types of scopes include flexible scopes such as commonly used in, e.g., gastroenterology, rigid scopes such as commonly used in, e.g., laparoscopy and arthroscopy, and semi-rigid scopes such as commonly used in, e.g., urology. Endoscopes are designed with various different physical and functional characteristics (length, diameter, type of optics, magnification, materials, degree of flexibility, etc.) to best suit their intended uses.
Since different types of endoscopic medical procedures are performed under different conditions, the camera settings tend to be dependent upon the type of procedure being performed. For example, in laparoscopy, more light is generally needed, because the abdominal cavity is so large. However, during arthroscopic shoulder surgery, too much light can produce reflection, making it difficult for the surgeon to see. Parameters whose settings may vary according to the procedure being performed may include, for example: video gain levels, enhancement level, camera shutter speed, gamma level, and others.
One problem with existing endoscopy systems is that it is inconvenient and time-consuming for medical personnel to have to determine and manually set the camera settings that are most appropriate for the procedure to be performed. Doing so may involve a trial and error process, which does not necessarily result in the most optimal settings being selected for the procedure.